Lance Macklin

Lance Noel Macklin (2 September 1919 – 29 August 2002) was a British racing driver from England. He participated in 15 Formula One World Championship Grands Prix, debuting on 18 May 1952.

Lance Macklin

Born	2 September 1919 Kensington, London, England
Died	29 August 2002 (aged 82) Tenterden, Kent, England
Formula One World Championship career
Nationality	British
Active years	1952 – 1955
Teams	HWM, privateer Maserati
Entries	15 (13 starts)
Championships	0
Wins	0
Podiums	0
Career points	0
Pole positions	0
Fastest laps	0
First entry	1952 Swiss Grand Prix
Last entry	1955 British Grand Prix

Early life

Macklin's father was the automotive entrepreneur Noel Macklin, founder of both the Invicta and Railton car companies, as well as Fairmile Marine, a manufacturer of motor gun and torpedo boats during World War II. Macklin was born in Kensington, and educated at Eton College. He volunteered for service with the Royal Navy in 1939 and (in line with his father's business) was assigned to work on motor gun boats.

Motoring career

On demobilisation after the Second World War, Macklin followed his early ambition and became a racing driver, although an early attempt to enter a race on the Isle of Man was refused on grounds that he had no experience.

During his Grand Prix career, Macklin scored no championship points, principally due to his uncompetitive HWM cars. His best career result came when he won the non-Championship BRDC International Trophy, at Silverstone in 1952.

Role in the 1955 Le Mans disaster

In the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans he was involved in the most catastrophic accident in racing history, which killed Pierre Levegh and 83 spectators. Macklin swerved to avoid hitting the Jaguar of Mike Hawthorn, who was braking hard in a late attempt to pit, and moved into the path of Levegh's car causing it to clip his.[1][2][3] Although Macklin's car crashed, he was uninjured. Following a later incident in the Tourist Trophy at Dundrod, in which Macklin crashed his Austin-Healey 100S avoiding an accident in which Jim Mayers and William T. Smith were killed, Macklin retired from motor sport at the urging of his then-girlfriend.[4]

Business career

Macklin joined Facel Vega in Paris, running the export division until the company failed in 1963, when he began working for London car dealership H.R. Owen.

Personal life

Macklin was married twice; firstly to Shelagh and subsequently to Gillian. He had two children from his first marriage and one from the second.[4]

Later years

He later moved to Spain, but returned to England when he became ill. He died in Tenterden, Kent, four days before his 83rd birthday.[4]

Formula One results

(key)

Year	Entrant	Chassis	Engine	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8	9	WDC	Points
1952	HW Motors Ltd	HWM	Alta Straight-4	SUI Ret	500	BEL 11	FRA 9	GBR 15	GER	NED 8	ITA DNQ		NC	0
1953	HW Motors Ltd	HWM	Alta Straight-4	ARG	500	NED Ret	BEL Ret	FRA Ret	GBR Ret	GER	SUI Ret	ITA Ret	NC	0
1954	HW Motors Ltd	HWM	Alta Straight-4	ARG	500	BEL	FRA Ret	GBR	GER	SUI	ITA	ESP	NC	0
1955	Stirling Moss Ltd	Maserati 250F	Maserati Straight-6	ARG	MON DNQ	500	BEL	NED	GBR 8	ITA			NC	0
Source:[5]

References

1. Spurgeon, Brad (11 June 2015). "On Auto Racing's Deadliest Day". The New York Times Company, Inc. Retrieved 1 September 2015.
2. "Mike Hawthorn & the 1955 24 Hours of Le Mans: The Cause and the Effect". ConceptCarz.com. Retrieved 15 April 2013.
3. Deadliest Crash:the Le Mans 1955 Disaster (Programme Website), BBC Four documentary, broadcast 16 May 2010.
4. "Lance Macklin". Daily Telegraph. 4 September 2002. Retrieved 11 January 2014.
5. Small, Steve (1994). The Guinness Complete Grand Prix Who's Who. Guinness. p. 234. ISBN 0851127029.